MANCHESTER UNITED have been dealt a significant boost in their hopes of signing Sean Longstaff from Newcastle United this summer.

That’s what the Mirror report, with Longstaff said to be considering his future at St James’ Park after recent developments.

Newcastle were dealt a major blow last month when Rafa Benitez decided to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract.

After failing to receive the assurances he wanted from the Newcastle board, Benitez ended a three-and-a-half year spell in the north east and has since taken over at Chinese Super League club Dalian Yifang.

Manchester United have wanted Longstaff since well before Benitez’s departure, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a big fan of the 21-year-old.

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The Mirror claim Solskjaer sees Longstaff - who has only made 13 first-team appearances for Newcastle - as vital to his plans having already signed Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka with fees for the pair potentially surpassing £70million with add-ons.

But the Red Devils were braced for disappointment with Longstaff having publicly committed himself to his boyhood club recently.

Longstaff told Newcastle’s in-house media: “I’m massively flattered to have my name even mentioned in those conversations but like I said, I’m 100 per-cent focused on Newcastle and trying to get fit and get back in the team here.

“For me it’s nice to be have said about you and be linked with top clubs but for me, this is what I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to play for Newcastle and I’ve only had a little taste of that so for me, it’s about getting fit as soon as I can and getting back on the pitch for Newcastle and making more memories of the future."

Rafa Benitez has moved to China to take charge at Dalian Yifang (Image: GETTY)

Sean Longstaff is expected to go for £25m if he leaves Newcastle (Image: GETTY)

Sean Longstaff has been in pre-season training this week after recovering from a knee injury (Image: GETTY)

It is said that United were even of the belief that they would have to wait until the summer of 2020 to sign the player.

Yet Longstaff is thought to be weighing up a move to Old Trafford following the loss of Benitez, who handed him his Premier League debut away at Liverpool back on Boxing Day.

While he only signed a new four-year contract back in December, the midfielder is said to be both surprised and unhappy about Benitez’s move to China.

The Mirror claim who Newcastle appoint as the Spaniard’s successor could prove pivotal, with the Tyneside club having also been dealt the disappointment of losing star forward Ayoze Perez to Leicester City for £30m.

It is said it would take around £25m for Newcastle to part ways with Longstaff, who is tied down until 2022.

That is despite reports from Sky Sports News this week that the Magpies could push for a fee in excess of the £50m United paid Crystal Palace to sign Wan-Bissaka last month and are determined not to sell the academy product.

Sean Longstaff is bitterly disappointed that Benitez has left (Image: GETTY)

Newcastle insist Sean Longstaff is not for sale (Image: GETTY)

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Benitez meanwhile insists he told Newcastle that he would be leaving the club as early as mid-May, less than a week after the Premier League season had ended, after meeting with club owner Mike Ashley in London.

He told theDaily Mail: “I would like not to talk too much about Newcastle United because we need to move forward.

“They need to think about the new season and I have a great challenge ahead of me.

“But I will say after the meeting in London on May 16 it was a clear decision for me and a few days later we told the club that we would not extend the contract.”

The Mail say Benitez felt he deserved an wage increase of £2m-a-year, plus bonuses for top-flight survival, and wanted greater control of transfers but was told by Newcastle they would not allow him to oversee all recruitment because he only planned to pen a one-year extension.